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What is the Digital Check-up?

Are you a micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (MSME) looking to navigate the digital landscape successfully? The Digital Check-up is the key to unlocking your digital potential. The Digital Check-up is a powerful diagnostic tool, designed to assess and evaluate the digital capabilities and readiness of a small business. The Check-up will assist the owners and/or managers of MSMEs to understand the current level of digital maturity of the business, identify areas for improvement, and provide comprehensive recommendations to guide digital adoption, consistent with their digital level of maturity.

Assessing your Digital Readiness

To determine the level of maturity of your business you will be required to answer a series of questions in seven (7) crucial areas of digital transformation, such as online presence, digital marketing, e-commerce, data management, and technology infrastructure. The platform’s built-in analytics and algorithms will analyse the responses to provide an assessment of your business’s digital strengths and weaknesses.

Your Personalised Roadmap to Success

One of the most significant benefits of the Digital Check-up is the actionable recommendations it offers based on your digital maturity level. After completing the assessment, you’ll receive a PDF document with targeted strategies to take your business to the next level of digitalization. The project includes other components linked to the Check-up that your company will benefit from, including free access to courses as part of learning tracks on the Caribbean Digital Transformation Institute (CDTI), an E-learning Management Platform designed specifically for this project.

The Digital Check-up provided under the CDTI Project, a 3-year initiative funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Implemented by the Caribbean Export Development Agency, is designed with MSMEs in mind.

The Check-up is modeled on a similar tool used by thousands of businesses in over 13 Latin-American countries. This version has the benefits of improvements informed by lessons learnt from its previous deployment and use in these countries.

Why should you use the Digital Check-up?

In addition to learning about your digital maturity level and your strengths and weaknesses in digitalization, here’s why the Digital Check-up is an essential tool for MSMEs:

• Benchmarking Against Industry Standards:
  • The tool will assist you in benchmarking against industry standards or best practices. This comparison provides a clear roadmap for improvement and helps you set achievable goals.
• Opportunities for Innovation:
  • By identifying gaps or areas with low digital maturity, your organization can explore innovative solutions and technologies that have the potential to drive growth, enhance efficiency, and improve competitiveness.
• Enhanced Customer Experience:
  • The Check-up helps identify gaps in your customer engagement, user experience, and digital touchpoints. Addressing these gaps can lead to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty, as well as increased sales and market share.
• Cost Optimization and Efficiency Improvements:
  • Streamlining your operations, automating tasks, and adopting digital tools, can optimize resource allocation, reduce costs and improve overall efficiency.
• Strategic Decision-Making:
  • Understanding your company’s digital strengths and weaknesses, empowers you to align digital initiatives with your business objectives, allocate resources effectively, and prioritize investments that deliver maximum value and impact.

Your Path to Digital Transformation

Once you’ve completed the Digital Check-up and received your personalized recommendations, your journey toward digital transformation becomes clearer. Here are some concrete next steps:

Access targeted courses on our online learning management platform, the Caribbean Digital Transformation Institute. These courses are part of learning tracks that seek to address the knowledge and skills needs of businesses based on their level of digital maturity.

Collaborate with a digital transformation services provider or advisor armed with data-driven insights, from the Check-Up, to help your business create a tailored digitalization and investment strategy. This strategy can be instrumental in securing funding from various sources to support your digitalization efforts. Having a data-driven, information-rich strategy and investment plan increases your likelihood of success of attracting and receiving funding or other types of support.

By completing the Digital Check-up and accessing its direct benefits, your company gains a competitive advantage in exploiting the growing opportunities for digitalization support from various agencies.

Click here to take the Digital Check-up today!

The EU Delegation in Guyana in the context of the EU Global Gateway has organized an EU Economic Mission to Guyana to be held in Georgetown from November 20-22nd with more than 20 companies from 8 EU Member States.

Deputy Director General of the EU’s Department for International Partnerships (INTPA) Ms Myriam Ferran, will lead the Economic Mission that is composed of companies from different sectors for the development of Guyana such as renewable energy, agriculture and forestry, logistics and infrastructure, ICT, medical and pharmaceuticals and hospitality and eco-tourism.

The mission comes at a decisive time for Guyana to undertake a green and inclusive growth model, which is the EU-LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda (GGIA) objective. This initiative is part of the Global Gateway, the European Union’s strategy to boost smart, clean, and secure connections in digital, energy, and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education, and research systems worldwide.

The Economic mission is organized in partnership with Trade Promotion Europe and the Office of Investment of Guyana, with the support of the Private Sector Commission, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association, and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce.
The 3-day event will take place at the Marriot Georgetown and will include a seminar, business-to-business meetings, and field visits.

Companies in EU member states or Guyana that want to participate in the economic mission can visit the landing page https://nexconsulting.kartra.com/page/rGU45

What they have in common is an island, a material, but also unique know-how. Some twenty artists, designers and entrepreneurs from Haiti and the Dominican Republic worked together, rigorously and perseveringly, over several years to put together an original collection of 153 ornaments, to be presented in June 2023 under the aegis of Caribbean Export, with funding from the European Union.

Santo Domingo, Thursday June 22, 6 p.m., in the first exhibition room, busts of mannequins dressed in sober velvet appear, revealing their finery in stone, horn, metal, wood… With particular dexterity and creativity, Haitian and Dominican designers have played with materials as one plays with brushes to reveal to the world a collective collection of exceptional works through a new Caribbean brand “Symbiosis”.

We’re at Quinta Dominica, in the heart of the Zona Colonial. The spotlight is on the event. Red and green jasper from Haiti mingle with larimar and amber from the Dominican Republic, while metals are joined by fibers, horn and wood or coconut in a dazzling symbiosis. There is both unity and uniqueness, and above all a remarkable enthusiasm on everyone’s part for this exhibition and the project that gave rise to it. As Anny Abate, the exhibition’s curator in charge of its installation, put itIt’s a project that has strength, that expresses something and that seeks its balance. The challenge of the Symbiose exhibition is to connect the creators’ work, giving each of them their own space, without changing the meaning…”

In the beginning, a Taino theme…

It all began in 2019, with the launch of a technical assistance project aimed at strengthening the production capacities of the crafts value chain in the two neighboring countries. This project, part of the “Trade and Private Sector” component of the Haiti-Dominican Republic Bi-national Cooperation Program, financed by the European Union and implemented by Caribbean Export, the only trade and investment promotion organization for the CARIFORUM countries, has truly fostered the synergies desired by the program throughout the process, which are focused on co-promotion and co-production.

From the outset, the idea of ajoint, exportable jewelry collection with a defined Caribbean identification, is proposed as the culmination of the Taino project. Symbiosis, the brand that was born, was intended as a collaborative encounter between Haitian and Dominican designers, based on what we have in common“explains Philippe Dodard, then Director of ENARTS, Ecole Nationale des Arts, some of whose students also took part in this project through exchanges between the two training institutions, ENARTS in Haiti and CENADARTE in the DR.

16 designers in perfect symbiosis

Nine Haitian artists and seven from the Dominican Republic took part in this adventure. Two names come up regularly in their testimonials: that of the famous designer Jenny Polanco, without whom the project would not have seen the light of day and who unfortunately succumbed to covid before seeing it come to fruition, and that of Jorge Caridad, the “master” of stone, founder of the amber and larimar museums, who opened his workshop and his arms wide to all the participants, to share his talent and his knowledge of the mineral, the raw material of most of the jewels on display.

These sessions remain memorable and particularly enriching for everyone. “At the start of the project, none of us Haitians were jewelers or knew anything about stones, and we met specialists in DR. Working together on cutting and polishing techniques was completely new to us.“says Sandra Russo, who accompanied the project. “In Haiti, we have a very ancient tradition and techniques for working with horn and wood. On Michel Châtaigne’s initiative, the Bureau des Mines d’Haïti offered stones then unknown to the Dominicans, such as quartz, jasper, malachite and azurite.“.

Sharing know-how…

This exchange of material know-how, as much as the contribution of new stones, seems to have inspired craftsmen and artists in both countries.

Gisselle Mancebo Castillo, a well-known name in larimar jewelry, exhibited a dozen magnificent sautoirs, blending the blues, reds, yellows and greens of the island’s stones in a kaleidoscope of colors: “It’s the first time I’ve worked with these stones, and it’s been an incredible experience“. Gimarie Grullon, designer of the Tiaggi brand, has also adopted Haitian red and yellow jasper, harmoniously blended with amber in a remarkable creation. For her, it’s a wonderful experience as a designer, “as well as an honor and a pleasure to work with Haitian artisans“.

New designers

Right next to it, a delicate and original finery decorates not only a bust in a majestic way, covering shoulders, arms, chest and even the head. The stones are soberly linked by copper wire and chain. This sober yet intriguing creation by Garibaldi Jean Baptiste captivates visitors. Just like that of Emmanuel Saincilus, whose artistic universe as a painter, visual artist and sculptor is reflected in his highly original hammered goldsmith’s work. These young Haitian designers, graduates of ENARTS, weren’t there to talk about the creative experience, but their creations spoke for them.

Michel Châtaigne, a Haitian fashion icon with extensive experience in the design of clothing, shoes and accessories, signed his first metal jewelry creations here, using the cut-iron technique and combining copper, brass and stones. It’s the same technique that inspired Nora Leurebours of Tipik Créations, accustomed to designing fashion accessories and objects for the home from paper maché, cow horn or natural fiber, and who found herself inspired by the metals and stones available to her creativity.

Blend of materials…

Happy combinations of stones and other materials such as horn and wood were found in the work of several designers such as Gisela Maria Lozada, from the Shelaia Store brand (RD), or Barbara Taveras (RD), each of whom delicately combines wood, shells, amber or larimar. This was also characteristic of the highly ethnic pieces presented by Cristina Nuñez, always rich in endemic inputs from the Dominican Republic such as coconut, bone, amber or larimar, to which she discreetly associated a few stones from Haiti.

Daphnée Floréal, who trained in jewelry making at the Altos de Chavon design school, has had fun enhancing her Bijou Lakay creations (pectoral necklace), where horn is very present, with a few accents of new colors and materials.

An expert in the fusion of tribal elements and urban design, Martine Bourjolly Cantave, Haitian jewelry designer of the Héritage Nomade brand and host of the only jewelry workshop ever held in Haiti, presented a number of striking pieces from her version of the Symbiose brand.

All first times

Like Martine Bourjolly Cantave, Haitian designers have often chosen to stay close to the Taino theme. Régine Tesserot Fabius and Ariel Fabius, designers of furniture and home accessories, have thus created pieces resolutely inspired by Taino designs and objects, sometimes incorporating traditional materials (leather, horn, wood) as well as the stones fashioned and mounted for them in Dominican workshops. “We were led to create on a theme and in a medium new to us,” they report.

An architect by profession, Fatima Polanco developed a passion for jewelry design, and proved herself a virtuoso in the palette of indigenous stones. Symbiosis seems to have inspired his imagination with a rich collection of all the island’s stones arranged with originality.

Tangible evidence of collaboration

The first edition of Symbiosis, both a project and a brand, showcases the creation of handmade jewelry and fashion accessories using the island’s raw materials. For Leonel Naut, Director of Caribbean Export, this first collection is a tangible testimony and the product of a collaboration that highlights the island’s exceptional potential and artisanal talent. “ This collection promotes binational dialogue between the two countries, thanks to the collaborative spirit with which these pieces have been created. It’s an avant-garde project. A collection that can bring so many positive results, it’s moving…” he declared, underlining the extent to which the island’s creative and cultural diversity and the development of new value-added products can enhance the exportable offer and contribute to the sector’s economic development.

The trajectory of the laboratory’s evolution makes it a model of business resilience.

After a vast managerial career in some of the most prestigious companies in the country, at the age of 45, Noel Ureña wanted to become an entrepreneur against all odds: “Many people told me that I was crazy. How could I leave a well-paid job to start a company from scratch”. Although not entirely; it is true that the company he managed to acquire with the capital he had at the time did not resemble the multinationals in which he excelled as an executive, the basic structure of the business was defined. A sketch from which to start. And so it was that Mi Kakito, went from selling shampoo in sachets (1978), to become what we know today as MK Laboratories, producer of several brands of hair care lines, pioneer in the Beauty Products Cluster of the Industrial Innovation Program of the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic, AIRD.

The letters MK for Mi Kakito, evolved to MK for “Master Knowledge”: maximum knowledge in what we do,” explains Ureña, who preserves the company’s first brand for the nostalgic market and has been introducing subtle changes to the graphic line to bring it in line with the new times. In 2008, the packaging of Mi Kakito products was changed from sachets to plastic bottles. But, before that, in 2005, MK Laboratories was already prepared to launch new product lines in response to the needs identified in market studies and after analyzing the costs of importing the most important raw materials: essential oils, whose quality must meet the standards of the certifications obtained by MK Laboratory, ISO 9001 Quality Management System, ISO 22716 certification that guarantees the implementation of good manufacturing practices to control the hazards and risks associated with cosmetic products, as well as local certifications granted by the Ministries of Public Health and Environment.

From 2005 to 2007, MK Laboratories launched its Finely and Sedoso hair product lines, available in stores and supermarkets, and the Vitaly line for professionals, available in beauty salons and authorized centers. In 2016, Ebo Beauty was born, for sale only on Instagram.

Laboratorio MK’s philosophy of continuous improvement and vision towards excellence has been translated into national and international recognition. In 2013, they obtained the SME Excellence Award granted by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce; the National Quality Award from the Private Sector in 2014 in the Small Business category, and in the same contest, a Bronze medal in the Large Business category. This is the highest recognition at the national business level that is awarded to the quality management and excellence of Dominican companies dedicated to the production of goods and services. Laboratorio MK has also been recognized by the National Association of Industries of Herrera, and internationally by MasterCard in its Latin American SME Success Stories award.

Caribbean Export arrived at the right time

At a time when MK Laboratory was preparing to expand, the largest volume of sales, around 90%, was exported to the United States (New York, Boston, Laurence, and Puerto Rico), as well as Panama and Colombia. The company applied and was selected to participate in the Binational Value Chain Strengthening Program in the essential oils/cosmetics line implemented by Caribbean Export as part of the trade and private sector support component of the Haiti/Dominican Republic Binational Program financed under the 11th International Trade Agreement. European Development Fund. Through this program, MK Laboratories was able to develop activities that allowed them to recover quickly from the ravages of the pandemic on the national economy and their business.

Among the program’s achievements was the donation of an automatic labeling machine which, according to Ureña, tripled the quantity of finished products and, as a result, increased production. “We are projecting earnings of more than double digits,” Ureña explains. In addition, technical assistance was provided to optimize the company’s technological systems in order to make processes more efficient and achieve the objective of expanding the export market, for which Caribbean Export offered advice on market research “at destination”, i.e., in the field of study. “In Puerto Rico, Boston and Miami, we visited the main distributors that handle products similar to ours, stores, commercial chains, Beauty Supplies, among others, and we were able to gather information to work on sales strategies and expand our client portfolio. MK’s president describes the mission as successful, as they have been able to negotiate with three potential international clients with tangible purchasing possibilities.

As former president of the Beauty Products Cluster of the Industrial Innovation Program of the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD), Noel Ureña, president of MK Laboratories, believes that the expansion of its products contributes to the presence of the Dominican brand in international markets, strengthening the reliability and prestige of the destination, which makes it attractive to future investors. The impact would result in the strengthening of the Dominican economy and, therefore, the development of society.

In 10 years, TiSakSuk has gone from a platform for selling “Made in Haiti” handicrafts to an increasingly renowned brand of painted clothing, which finds its market in Haiti and abroad. Behind this success lies a passion, dreams, hard work and opportunities that the company has seized!

Having left to study in the United States, Daphnée Valmond Bourgoin stayed on to launch her professional and family life. But after the 2011 earthquake, she was one of the many Haitians who enthusiastically returned to build on their native soil. It all began with Daphnée’s passion for handicrafts and “made in Haiti”, as she was in charge of selecting products for the store she managed at the US Embassy in Haiti. A devotee of her country’s objects and products, she even earned the nickname “Madame Made-in-Haiti”, when she had the idea of promoting and selling the products of Haiti’s artisans on her social networks, then on a website … under the profile of TisakSuk. And so the adventure began.

Tisaksuk will grow up!

Daphnée has gone from being a promoter of local products to a creator of local products. First by having linen clothes made for herself, then by having them personalized by an artist. Shirts, dresses and pants painted in the colors of Haiti quickly attracted the attention of those around her, and then of her “followers”. The market was there, and the obvious thing to do was to create a workshop under the Tisaksuk brand.

Tisaksuk means “little bag of sugar” in Creole. This is how the man who would become her husband had christened his childhood friend Daphnée, when they were growing up in the same Carrefour district of the capital. Little did Vladimir Bourgoin know that “Tisaksuk” would become his wife and the founder of a promising small business. Today, it’s the name of a collection that’s on a roll.

Change of scale, but still artisanal

With the brand’s success, Vladimir left his own career to strengthen that of his wife. The small company now has a team of 20 people, half of them women, to make and paint the year’s collection. The workshop, created in their original Carrefour neighborhood in 2013, had to move to Frères for safety reasons. Today, between local sales and online sales to elegant Haitian women in the diaspora, the brand has undergone remarkable expansion. International sales, mainly in the United States, account for 80% of sales. But while TiSakSuk is moving to a new level of production and distribution, the brand is committed to maintaining its artisanal standards of manufacture and quality. Each garment in the annual collection, available in six to ten models, is a unique piece, hand-painted by a Haitian artist.

Technical support crucial to growth

This growth, which has been gradual over the last ten years, has recently gained momentum with the support of Caribbean Export. Through the binational program financed by the European Union, Tisaksuk has benefited from substantial technical support, with training and support in accounting and management. ” We’ve been a beneficiary of this value chain support project since 2019, but between Covid and the problems in Haiti, everything had slowed down a little. We’re catching up now… “explains the designer. In 2023, the pace quickened: while the company’s administrative capabilities were being strengthened and two team members were being trained on Quickbooks, the Caribbean Export program also helped to boost product availability and visibility. Tisaksuk’s participation in an annual fair for small and medium-sized enterprises in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was intended to expose the company to other markets. ” Their support has enabled me to take part in Semana Mipynes in June 2023. I was impressed by the reception the collection received. I never imagined that the Dominican market, and the Caribbean market by extension, would be interested in our creations.. I’m delighted by this discovery, as it opens up so many new avenues …” confides D. Bourgoin, who is looking forward to the experience. Bourgoin, who is delighted with the experience.

An international distribution platform

Increased sales abroad prompted the company to set up a distribution platform in Tampa, Florida, to distribute TisakSuk orders more cost-effectively. Tomorrow, this platform could even become a dispatch point for other designers.

Alongside the strengthening of production organization and the prospecting of new markets, the success of the Santo Domingo fair has reinforced Tisaksuk’s plans to make the Tampa platform a veritable hub for Made in Haiti products… and why not for Made in the Caribbean products, which are struggling to find adequate distribution. ” Our dream is to become the Amazon of Caribbean Made by 2025. “emboldens Daphnée Valmond Bourgoin. The little bag of sugar can become a big project!

In the early 1980s, chemist Josefina Pujols de Lomba created a formula for a shampoo and hair conditioner at the request of the owners of the Los Divinos salon she frequented. The products were so well received by the clientele that other beauty centers wanted to purchase them. Little by little, the reputation of what later became a family business was strengthened, with several lines of personal care products and a positioning abroad, to where it exports around 60% of its production.

At the head of the company are José Antonio Lomba and Daniel Lomba, sons of Doña Josefina, who grew up involved in the process of creation and evolution of the company. “While our schoolmates were at summer camps, we had to make time to go to the company to pack products,” says Daniel Lomba, commercial and financial manager.

The company was founded in 1983 with a catalog of hair care and beauty products sold in stores and supermarkets, both for the general public and for a more professional profile such as beauty salons. Years of sacrifice, dedication and perseverance forged the solid foundations of a firm that has become synonymous with quality and prestige in the Dominican Republic and in export destinations, with ISO-9001 certifications on Quality Management System for more than 10 years, with presence in Haiti, Panama, Puerto Rico, Miami, New York and New Jersey, with goals of expanding the export market.

Towards excellence

Innovation is an inherent characteristic of Capilo’s managers. After an internal analysis, they identified a category with potential for success: essential oils. Rosemary, avocado and almond were the first to be presented to the public at one of the beauty fairs held by an important commercial center in the country. Currently, they have more than a dozen essential oils in their catalog. They have already conquered an important part of this market niche.

Within the framework of the Trade and Support to the Private Sector component of the Haiti/Dominican Republic Binational Cooperation Program financed under the 11th European Development Fund and implemented by Caribbean Export, Capilo received technical assistance to obtain ISO2 2716 Good Manufacturing Practices certification. “We thought that since we had ISO-9001 it would be easy, but this certification is different, very challenging, but we are doing well and we will achieve it,” explains Daniel Lomba. ISO 2716 ensures the control of risks associated with cosmetic products, thereby managing quality and safety compliance throughout the product supply chain. The certification includes guidelines, in addition to production, for the control, storage and shipment of products to the final consumer. This certification will allow greater access to international markets, such as Europe, a destination that is among Capilo’s objectives.

Caribbean Export’s support includes the donation of an electric forklift and an automatic labeling machine. The labeling machine will be part of a packaging line that the company purchased abroad. Currently, it has accelerated the process, with faster labeling, thus making delivery times more efficient, allowing it to design sales strategies for the objective of expanding its presence in the international market.

“The forklift was super necessary for the organization of the warehouses, the speed of dispatches and to be able to make deliveries faster. The storage area of the company has opportunities to take advantage of the use of vertical space. Thus, the team has contributed to an optimization of shelf space and proper sorting by designing a flow that reduces time wasted on unnecessary trips and an efficient inventory management system. These assets have resulted in an increase of around 25% in production, according to Lomba.

Capilo is part of the Dominican Cluster of Beauty Products, and since 2000 has focused on strengthening a business structure whose mission is to offer products and services of the highest quality. The brands include the hair care lines Capilo, Capilo PRO, Capilo Kids, and a line created for the men’s sector, District Gentleman.

The company’s strong foundation, combined with a conservative lifestyle vision, worked in Capilo’s favor during the difficult times of the pandemic. The company’s specialized division for the formulation and creation of local and international third-party brands also contributed to the company’s structure. “At that difficult time for the country, we were fortunate that we had a brand of antibacterial gel in our customer portfolio, and that allowed us to weather the crisis.”

Due to its history and trajectory, Capilo products, especially those for hair care, are part of the Dominican female population’s imagination; the innovative vision to evolve in the continuous improvement of its products, as well as the development of the graphic line and marketing strategy to meet the demand of the tastes and needs of the new generations, contribute to the strengthening of this dynamic economic sector of the country, therefore, to sustainable economic development, as well as the projection of the quality of the country brand in foreign lands.

Capilo has received several awards, including the Industrial Excellence Award from the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic, 1999, in the category of quality for small industry; Recognition from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs, for its business trajectory; and Exporter of the Year, awarded by the European Union in 2019.

In just a few years, Makaya Chocolat has become “THE” chocolatier in Haiti. Present in all gourmet stalls, as well as at fairs and online, the collection owes its success to its high quality taste, but also to the personality of its creator, Ralph Leroy, who steers the brand’s image and digital career.

It was probably at the Salon du Chocolat de Montréal in 2013 that the genesis of Makaya was established. At the time, founder Ralph Leroy was a fashion designer, invited as he has been every year since 2009 to create a collection of accessories… in chocolate!

From aesthetic inspiration to chocolate production, it was an ocean to cross, for this native of Cap-Haïtien in northern Haiti. But his interest in cocoa turned into a passion, and gradually took the place of fashion. In 2015, on his chosen soil, he met the Fédération des coopératives cacaoyères du Nord, Feccano. “It’s a common misconception that chocolate is only made in Europe. But why not work with chocolate right here in Haiti?” Leroy was astonished when, in 2016, he set up a laboratory and carried out his first cocoa bean selection and roasting.

From Italy to Trinidad

The Makaya brand is launched with a wide range of aromas and flavors, including fleur de sel and coffee. The reception was spectacular, but our creator felt limited by his technical shortcomings. How do you keep your chocolate shiny? He would need to master “tempering”, a decisive step in making chocolate. Leroy contacted chocolate makers in Montreal, but didn’t convince anyone to come to Haiti. In 2018, he decided to go to Italy to learn how to tame this precious material. ” In the end, it was the best option: to acquire the skills myself and be able to pass them on, rather than receive them from experts who, once my team had been formed, would leave…”confides Ralph Leroy.

After six months’ training in Italy and a sculpture masterclass in Chicago, Ralph completed his world tour as an apprentice in Trinidad to master the part of making chocolate from the bean. Back in his homeland, Ralph Leroy began producing tablets from beans supplied by Feccano. The launch on the Haitian market was a rapid success thanks to word-of-mouth and local fairs, but the real success of the brand came from social networks, the chocolate maker’s marketing tool par excellence.

Social networks and online sales

Makaya takes on a new dimension with the opening of an original outlet in Pétion-Ville, combining laboratory and tasting room, and hosting events. The chocolate workshop provides both team training and fun workshops for children, teenagers and adults. Despite the COVID pandemic, 2020 is a good year thanks to the website, which is starting to generate sales. A dispatch center has been set up in Miami to deliver orders for the United States, and another in Montreal for Canada. 40% of production is exported, boosted by his dynamic social networking strategy: Ralph Leroy doesn’t just promote Makaya, he creates digital conversations around chocolate, bringing in professionals and celebrities and opening up the discussion threads to all chocolate lovers. In the same year, the brand went on sale at the airport duty-free shop, adding to those in supermarkets and high-end boutiques. With the processing of the beans, Makaya signs the first range of Haitian chocolates “from bean to bar”, From bean to bar. A source of national pride!

Strong local recognition

In February 2022, Makaya took part in an exchange of best practices organized by Caribbean Export with Dominican companies. This mission on Dominican cocoa promotion and marketing strategy, production and processing techniques, and organizational management mechanisms implemented by CONACADO, will mark the start of a collaboration with Definite Chocolate.

The Dominican Republic’s chocolatier and Haiti’s chocolatier join forces in a creative partnership proposed as part of the gastronomy component of the “Binational Cultural Dialogue” supported by the European Union. The two master chocolatiers have joined forces to create a collection that reflects their island: the Quisqueya collection. With the support of Caribbean Export, the collection takes shape with three different chocolates and an original packaging. It was first presented to a large audience at the Dominican Chocolate Festival in July, then at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris the following autumn.

In December 2022, Makaya is also participating in the Capacity Building Program for the new European Organic Regulation in cooperation with ITC for the beneficiary companies of the HT-DR bi-national cocoa value chain project implemented by Caribbean Export.

Haitian chocolate on tour!

In 7 years, Makaya has created 15 products, processed a ton of beans and can be found in some 15 sales outlets in Haiti and abroad. Its online sales capacity now accounts for 40-50% of sales, thanks to 100% digital promotion and marketing.

Makaya has plans to open a boutique chocolate factory-tasting room in Cap Haïtien and another in Montréal, but the situation in Haiti has put the chocolatier’s economy and ambitions on hold. His workshop has shrunk from 23 people to 7, but fortunately, foreign sales are saving the day: 90%, 80%, 70%, 65% or 45% dark chocolates, white chocolates, almond, cappuccino, 42% Expresso, 65% Latte, and recently, a special edition, the Héritage bar, all find their fans. And Makaya 100% cocoa, the basis for its famous hot chocolate, remains the star product in the chocolate lounge. The founder of Makaya spares no tour and hosts a host of events around Haiti in Miami, New York, Washington and Montreal. Chocolate desserts, activities, workshops, conferences… Ralph Leroy has become a true ambassador for Haitian chocolate. He hopes to take part in the Salon du Chocolat in Paris next October and present his new 2023 product, Makaya coffee beans and ground coffee, due for release next autumn. As he puts it, ” with Makaya, Haitian chocolate goes on tour!

Africa-CARICOM Day, celebrated on September 7th, serves as an important reminder of the enduring cultural and economic bonds between the African continent and the Caribbean region. This annual celebration not only commemorates shared histories but also shines a spotlight on the promising potential of strengthened trade relations.

Beyond the cultural ties that unite these regions, there lies a vast opportunity for deepening economic cooperation. Organisations like the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) play a pivotal role in realising this potential.

Throughout 2023, Caribbean Export displayed unwavering commitment to advancing trade and investment between these two dynamic regions. Its efforts included a successful mission to selected African markets, strategically designed to strengthen cooperation, bolster trade and investment, and cultivate partnerships across key sectors, including renewable energy, agriculture, AgTech, ICT, and Fintech. Notably, the Agency received the prestigious appointment as an Ambassador for Africa’s premier Trade and Investment Forum, IATF2023.

In a recent Op-ed authored by the Agency’s Executive Director, Deodat Maharaj, published by the Overseas Development Institute, the call for robust, direct business engagements in critical sectors reverberated. Maharaj passionately advocates for these engagements as catalysts for sustainable economic transformation across both regions.

By championing trade and investment while facilitating the transfer of knowledge and sharing market insights, these regions are poised for continuous growth and evolution. This strengthened relationship holds the promise of ushering in new opportunities, creating jobs, and fostering prosperity for the diverse populations it serves. The future is undoubtedly bright for Africa and the Caribbean as they chart a course toward mutual progress and shared success.

Most people would agree that spice is an essential ingredient when cooking.

In the Caribbean, our seemingly innate ability to select the right spices, and add them in just the right amount, has added depth and flavour to our cuisine and is what separates it from others.

Vincentian entrepreneur Sharon Little has always enjoyed spending time in the kitchen and her passion for spicing up recipes eventually led to the launch of her small business in 1997 – ‘Pringa’s Natural Flavours’.

Sharon started off selling her version of green seasoning at a local shop where she was the manager. After it proved popular, she approached other small stores and supermarkets, and soon her seasoning was on shelves all over St Vincent and the Grenadines.

But Sharon did not stop there. She quickly expanded the Pringa’s brand to include hot sauce, ginger sauce, and guava jelly all made from herbs, spices, and tropical fruits grown by local farmers.

Now, she is working on plans to export to the US, Canada, and Europe, after receiving assistance from the Caribbean Export Development Agency and the European Union to attend business development workshops and international trade shows.

Sharon states: “Coming on board with Caribbean Export has provided me with a lot of important information to grow the business. Thinking of where we were before, and where we are now, since working with Caribbean Export, it’s a big leap. We’ve been exposed to other markets, given lots of knowledge, and it has helped us to get to know our product and the best ways to sell it.”

In September 2022, Sharon’s daughter LaFleur, who she employs along with one other person, joined a small delegation of producers under the Caribbean Export umbrella at the Speciality and Fine Food Fair in London. Pringa’s provided a range of samples at the expo and the reception was promising.

At the time, LaFleur told Caribbean Export: “Persons from the UK are really venturing out of their comfort zone and trying more spicy foods. It was a pleasure to serve them Pringa’s line of sauces and condiments. I know they enjoyed it because most came back for seconds. They couldn’t believe they were getting all these beautiful flavours from sauces and condiments.”

After a successful trip to the UK, Pringa’s was also on display at the Caribbean Export booth at the world’s biggest tradeshow ‘SIAL Paris 2022’ where several potential distributors and buyers expressed an interest in the company’s products.

Sharon believes her biggest challenge right now in terms of exporting is the cost of automating production.

She states: “I’m not happy just supplying St Vincent so my aim is to go further afield. But right now, we are still processing everything by hand, doing all the peeling and cleaning, so that is hard on us. But if I did get an export market, I would be able to buy some machinery and employ more people.”

Over the past few months, Pringa’s has been approached by an ecommerce company based in Vietnam called Buy2sell, which is keen to offer its guava jelly on its platform to customers in Asia. The two companies are still negotiating.

Sharon says: “We are hopeful that it will go somewhere but right now we are stuck on the quantity. They want 300 cases of guava jelly, but we would prefer to start with 50 cases every three months and go from there.”

In the meantime, Sharon plans to improve efficiency to boost production and work on breaking into another Caribbean market. She also wants to find a bigger space to operate from that will also provide additional room for storage.

Sharon is determined to make Pringa’s into a Caribbean success story and she is already well on her way.

Originally from the Amazon jungle area, cocoa was introduced in the Dominican Republic by Spanish colonizers at the end of the 16th century, reaching our days as a crop of transcendental importance, not only in economic terms, but also as part of the Dominican gastronomic culture.

Although it is true that by the middle of the 19th century the Dominican Republic was already exporting a significant amount of cocoa, it was not until the 1990s that its production took a qualitative leap that has placed the country as one of the main global exporters of organic cocoa, with 60% of the world’s export volume.

Pioneers in organic cocoa exports

The National Confederation of Dominican Cocoa Growers (CONACADO) has been a key factor in the development of the production of this important sector of our economy. It is an entity that emerged in the mid-1980s in the context of an international project promoted by the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ), aimed at achieving better post-harvest management of Dominican cocoa, adding value to the production chain, particularly aroma and flavor conditions that would allow it to be placed in international markets in better conditions to compete.

According to Abel Fernandez, commercial manager of CONACADO, the success of this association lies in having structured a cooperative model that “provided the producer groups with logistical and financial capabilities so that they could among themselves, as a group, buy the production, the volumes they had already improved, and eventually be able to exhibit commercial volumes, because cocoa, after all, is a commodity, and in order to access the market you must ensure that you are a consistent supplier in terms of volume and quality”.

Pioneers in organic exports, CONACADO has the merit of having opened the doors of the European market to Dominican cocoa. It currently has a membership of more than 9 thousand cocoa farmers and 49.8% of the national production of organic cocoa.

New challenges for producers

As cocoa production techniques have evolved, so has the international market. New international standards and regulations have posed an enormous challenge for local producers.

One of these regulations has been the new European Union regulation on “Imported Deforestation”, which means that in the medium term, products from farms that have been cleared after 2020, especially cocoa and coffee, will not be allowed to enter Europe.

This regulation entails tough requirements for producers in terms of traceability and monitoring of deforestation. “Those who cannot guarantee that their exportable supply comes from sources that have not affected the environment will not be able to export to the European Union,” says Abel Fernandez.

Caribbean Export’s helping hand

Although CONACADO’s relationship with Caribbean Export dates back to the beginning of this century, it is in recent years that it has become closer.

Fernandez says that “we have always worked a lot with international agencies; we have served as a laboratory, as a school for many initiatives and project proposals. Caribbean Export has always taken us into account when new project proposals appear, when opportunities open up.

“In the framework of cooperation with Caribbean Export, we have received a lot of support on issues that help us to improve, to get up to date in aspects related to international trade and compliance with new regulations and legislation that are coming out all the time in the European Union,” said Fernandez.

In October of last year, CONACADO, together with Caribbean Export, participated in the Salon du Chocolat Paris 2022, an event that gave the entire value chain the opportunity to establish new relationships and renew contacts with existing customers, while promoting the organization and its offer to the European market.

A similar experience took place in February of this year, during participation in the BIOFACH International Organic Products Fair in Germany.

As part of the actions to support the Haiti-DR binational Cocoa/Chocolate value chain, which are being carried out with funds from the 11th Annual Haiti-DR Cocoa/Chocolate Summit, the Haiti-RD Cocoa/Chocolate Value Chain is being supported with funds from the 11th Annual Haiti-DR Cocoa/Chocolate Summit. European Development Fund (EDF), within the framework of the trade and private sector support component of the Haiti-Dominican Republic Binational Program, Caribbean Export has supported the producers of CONACADO with a project that provides equipment and georeferencing training that allows the European Union to monitor cocoa farms by satellite to certify that their production model does not affect the environment.

“Thanks to the timely cooperation of Caribbean Export, we can say that we are one of the few organizations in the world that are taking important steps forward to be prepared for the changes imposed by the new times,” concludes CONACADO’s commercial manager.

According to Jaime Gómez, technical director of CONACADO, the georeferencing project provided by Caribbean Export has impacted 459 farms, representing 38,500 georeferenced tareas of land, in the provinces of Monseñor Nouel and Monte Plata. “In Bonao the georeferencing has been complete, impacting more than 200 producers. In Monte Plata we missed some farms. This motivated us to continue georeferencing the remaining farms on our own, until we reach our goal of 100%, which is the requirement of the European Union’s clients,” explained Gómez.

The structure of the energy industry in CARIFORUM nations has come under growing pressure from internal and international economic, technological, and institutional transformation factors over the past ten years. Given this, energy imports typically account for a significant portion of total imports, the combination of volatile international energy prices, pressure on foreign exchange reserves, and high public debt has raised serious concerns about national energy security in CARIFORUM countries. According to World Bank data over the period 2015-2020, the average price of electricity in CARIFORUM was USD 0.27/kWh compared to the OECD average of USD 0.15/kWh and the global average of USD 0.17/kWh.

It is against this background that the Caribbean Export Development Agency ( Caribbean Export) in collaboration with Republic Bank Guyana and the Guyana Office for Investment hosted the ISO 50001 Energy Management Workshop over the period August 22-25, 2023, at the Pegasus Guyana Hotel. The objective of this activity was to build the capacity of beneficiaries to meet this international standard. The rationale is that the integration of ISO 50001 into the strategic management capabilities of beneficiaries could enhance their competitiveness through energy efficiency, combined with increased credibility in international markets which is increasingly driven by environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns.

During the opening session of the workshop Dr Peter Ramsaroop, Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Office for Investment and member of the Board of Directors at Caribbean Export, highlighted the timeliness of the workshop and the need for the MSMEs to balance revenue generation while minimising energy costs, leveraging the materials discussed during the workshop. Mr. Venus Frith, General Manager- Credit Republic Bank Limited (Guyana) spoke about the Caribbean Export- Republic Financial Holdings Limited partnership which was formalised in 2022 and the bank’s commitment to building the capacity of the region’s private sector, in this instance Guyana, through the delivery of targeted interventions on key areas such as this. Moreover, Dr Damie Sinanan, Manager- Competitiveness and Export Promotion at Caribbean Export reiterated the Agency’s mandate to promote private sector capacity building and the growth of exports from CARIFORUM. He continued, the Agency views enhanced energy efficiency and the transition to renewable energy industry as critical to private sector development.

The workshop was facilitated by Mr. Kit Oung, Energy Expert from the British Standards Institution and covered thematic areas such as energy management, identifying energy targets, conformity assessment and the importance of aligning energy management systems with the firm’s strategic direction.

In attendance were 20 representatives of firms from sectors including agroprocessing, construction, health and wellness and Information Communications Technology. Representatives were fully engaged and participated in robust discussions on the topic.

Caribbean Export acknowledges the support provided by the local partners and business support organizations such as Republic Bank Limited (Guyana) and the Guyana Office for Investment in partnering with us to host this event. The Agency also wishes to thank the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC), Private Sector Commission (PSC), Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), and Georgetown Chambers of Commerce and Industry (GGCI) for mobilizing their networks to attend this workshop.

Caribbean Export is pleased to be supporting the Caribbean Women in Trade (CWIT), an organization that officially launched in May 2023. This initiative, established in 2020, serves as a vibrant community for Caribbean women engaged in international trade.

CWIT’s activities are far-reaching and impactful, providing a platform for connections, networking events, and educational seminars. These offerings empower Caribbean women in international trade to foster meaningful relationships and access critical knowledge. The initiative also focuses on mentorship, offering guidance to young and new members, while positioning itself as a significant stakeholder for consultations on trade challenges.

During the CWIT’s notable launch event, prominent figures like Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of WTO, Ms. Pamela Coke-Hamilton of ITC, and Ms. Rebecca Grynspan of UNCTAD addressed critical issues such as access to finance and trade policies, sparking insightful discussions and inspiring members.

“Supporting CWIT is more than a partnership; it’s about committing to elevate women’s role in trade, thereby contributing to a more inclusive and prosperous trade landscape.” emphasized Tonya Cummins, Caribbean Export’s Investment Lead.

Caribbean Export’s agreed to sponsor four CWIT members to participate in one of its programmes allowing these honorees to “pay it forward”. The Agency also welcomed members to the recent ‘Leveraging CARIFORUM Trade Agreements workshop’, conducted in partnership with Republic Bank Trinidad. We also look forward to their participation in the upcoming Caribbean Investment Forum.

This sponsorship aligns with the growing recognition of women’s contributions to the trade sector. Notably, 40% of Caribbean businesses are women-owned.

In essence, the Caribbean Women in Trade initiative signifies empowerment, unity, and progress. With Caribbean Export’s support and sponsorship, the initiative’s impact is set to resonate even more deeply. As we continue this journey, it’s imperative that we recognize the transformative capacity of women in international trade. By championing and supporting initiatives like CWIT, we pave the way for a brighter, more equitable future in the global trade arena.